Aiken received his early education from private schools in Charleston and was graduated from South Carolina College in 1825. Directly after his death in 1831 his widow, Henrietta Watt, constructed the octagonal wing of the house with a ballroom on the second floor. See also Steven James Keillor, Grand Excursion: Antebellum America Discovers the Upper Mississippi (Alton, MN: Afton Historical Society, 2004), for detailed information on the importance of the steamboat to the Northwest. When Aiken saw the school, he immediately took pity on it. The house is considered to be the best preserved complex of antebellum domestic structures in Charleston. Furthermore, Aiken asked the legislature to purchase stock in railroad companies chartered in South Carolina. (1806-1887) Aiken was born in Charleston to William Aiken and Henrietta Wyatt. Please contact us if you have questions about accessing the museum and exhibits. A city committee has recommended that qualifying Black residents receive $5 million each in reparations," Washington Post Toddlers enter for free. WebHe owned one of the largest rice plantation in the stateJehossee Islandwith over 700 enslaved black people on 1,500 acres under cultivation, almost twice the acreage of the On December 7, 1844, Aiken was elected governor by the General Assembly. Scant notations in census slave schedules provide the sex and age of the enslaved and more detail-oriented census enumerators included the names of the enslaved individuals, which were often changed. In the back of the house, the slave quarters, kitchen and yard remain as they were when the original occupants lived in the house. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Established in 1995. He advanced between $ 15,000 and $20,000 of his own money to the institution, and he purchased $8,000 in university bonds. and. The University of Minnesota lives today thanks in no small part to hundreds of slaves on a plantation in Charleston. He facilitated the boards report to the governors office, recalling the misfortunes of the schools first decade and the triumph of its latest reopening. Also, Aikens gift shows that a university in the Northwest was reliant on wealth from a southern plantations unfree labor, not unlike the Ivy League schools of the colonial era and the southern antebellum schools.1 From the early 1850s, southerners had come to Minnesota for business, recreation, or both. Unexpectedly, William H. Williams slave pen injected itself into the national campaign for president in 1844. Columbus Crisis, 9, 1862, p. 84; Theodore Christian Blegen, Minnesota: A History of the State (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1963), 251. In The Charleston Museum: The Early Days gallery, see exotic collections from around the world, representative of the Museums nineteenth century cosmopolitan collecting focus. The house descended in the Aiken-Rhett family for 142 years until it was sold to The Charleston Museum and opened to the public in 1975. Nathaniel Russel House StudySC is a service of the South Carolina State Library and is funded in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?Click on the HTML link code below.Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable. William Aiken House? As a Unionist, Aiken opposed the radical views which called for secession if Texas was not annexed to the United States as a slave state. This petition was then compared with a September 15, 1846 Deed of Trust between Harriett Lowndes Aiken and her husband William Aiken, Jr., which lists the slaves William, Ducah, Judy, Andrew, Molly, Ann, Hetty, Thomas, Phoebe Ann, Elizabeth, Henry, Sambo, Dorcas, Phyllis, Rachel, Victoria, Eliza, Betsy and Elijah. WebLARGEST SLAVEHOLDERS FROM 1860 SLAVE CENSUS SCHEDULES. It is now in the hands of the Historic Charleston Foundation. Aiken Dead, Paul Daily Globe, Sept. 8, 1887, p. 4; St. Paul Western Appeal, Sept. 17, 1887, p. 2; Mower County Transcript, Sept. 14, 1887, p. 6. The Confederacy fired on the US garrison of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 opening the Civil War, which redefined American freedom. WebBiography. The 1856 speaker election was so impassioned, it turned violent: In late January 1856, as the election approached the two-month mark, Democrat Albert Rust, an Arkansas politician and slaveholder, attacked a pro-Banks reporter, the would-be famous journalist and one-time presidential candidate Horace Greeley, outside of the Capitol. Unfortunately, William Sr. was killed in a Charleston carriage accident and never saw his Aiken, died a few years later, and the house was left to his son William Aiken Jr. who was the former Governor of South Carolina from 1844 -1846. WebIn antebellum Charleston, Governor William Aiken, Jr. was one of the citys most powerful and affluent figures. We look forward to seeing you! I was a Historic House Interpreter at the Aiken-Rhett House Im 1991-1992. Aiken was again elected to the Congress. The Jan. 6 insurrection shook our republic to the core. 185 Pins 12w P Collection by Patrick Properties Hospitality Group Similar ideas popular now Charleston South Carolina Willis M. West, The University of Minnesota, 98; W. H. Mitchell, The State University, 164-66. The House would not vote to overturn the gag rule until December 1844, one month after the fifteenth presidential election. Summarize this article for a 10 years old, The Gov. About William Aiken. I am an explainers and trends reporter for Forbes. Photographer Charles N. Bayless, funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, photographed and recorded the Carolina Lowcountry between 1970 and 1988. WebWith Republicans currently in control of the House, that effort is likely dead. Focusing instead on economic development in South Carolina, Governor Aiken placed particular emphasis on railroad expansion throughout the state. Your email address will not be published. There are stairs in the Aiken-Rhett House. In 1831, Aiken married Harriet Lowndes, a union that produced one daughter, Henrietta. By 2018, the team was able to uncover over 10,000 artifacts. habs sc,10-char,177-17.tif Aiken died a few years later, and the house was left to his In 1856 and 1859, the issue of slavery was front and center. Aiken was president of the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company and was a member of the state House of Representatives from 1824 until his death in 1831. [12] A woman named Harriet who was suffering from seizures was electrically shocked in an 1848 experiment for 53 minutes, for example, even though it required three doctors to restrain her. One such measure would allow a single lawmaker to begin the process for ousting the speaker, which could put McCarthy under constant threat by far-right House members. When he lost five ships at sea in 1825, he was forced to sell the house to meet his financial obligations. is a professor of ethnic studies at St. "They knew that, but still saw slaves as different from other people. Photographed by Mathew Benjamin Brady. The General Assembly proved unwilling to support the ambitious plan during Aikens tenure, but approved a similar plan a year after Aiken left office. We are so very happy to learn that you appreciate the Aiken-Rhett House as much as we do! When he died suddenly in a carriage accident, his vast holdings were divided between his wife, Henrietta Wyatt Aiken, and his only son, William Aiken Jr. He attended Los Angeles City College for two years, but his education was interrupted by war work. His loan predated national financial calamitythe Panic of 1857by just a couple of months. Because of this, 2019 is remembered as the 400th anniversary of slavery in the United States. [2] Despite being known for its association with Gov. The house was then passed down and remained in the family for 142 years until it was bought by the Charleston Museum and opened as a house museum in 1975. The fourth day of speaker voting falls on the second anniversary of the January 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection. 4.0Value. You may opt-out by. The following information is provided for citations. Are there stairs?? Enjoy this page? By 1860 census takers valued his real and personal estates at $290,600 and $72,000, respectively. One slaveholding migrant in Stillwater specifically claimed that Dred Scott legitimized his actions.3, In the early summer of 1857, William Aiken Jr. of Charleston, South Carolina, was part of that post-Dred Scott southern influx to Minnesota. William Aiken House was built in 1820 at 48 Elizabeth Street, in the Wraggborough neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina. The governor and his wife moved into the Aiken-Rhett House in 1831 and twice expanded its size. The early leader was Rep. William Richardson (D-Ill.), who favored permitting future states to allow slavery, with 74 votes, far short of the 113 needed for a Aiken was a member of the S.C. House of Representatives from 1838-1842, when he was then elected to the S.C. Senate where served the next two years. Published information giving names of slaveholders and numbers of slaves held in Charleston County, South Carolina, in 1860, 3 vols. The political climate was uniquely turbulent during the 1856 speaker election. The audio tour was very informative. See Craig Steven Wilder, Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of Americas Universities (New York: Bloomsbury, 2013), for a detailed study of colonial-era American colleges and their relationships to African American slavery. Over 150, The Aiken-Rhett House is unique. He was the son of William Aiken, the first president of the pioneering South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company. Wealthy southerners with political connections invested in large portions of land in Minnesota. Lucinda, a slave subjected to experimental surgery for an eye tumor. The building was not even completed before the university opened in 1851, and it remained unfinished in 1857.. Folklore of "Night Doctors" who robbed graves, or "Black Bottle Men" who poisoned patients to dissect them, is more than a century old, he said, and likely springs from the era of these cruel experiments. A slave with a tumor attached to her head, likely triggered by a surgical experiment in 1833. Check rates now! The property is a remarkable record of the William Aiken House (also known as the Aiken-Rhett House, or the Robinson-Aiken House) was built in 1820 at 48 Elizabeth Street, in the Wraggborough neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina. WebSpecialties: Built in 1820 and greatly expanded by Governor William Aiken Jr., the house survives in a condition that depicts the way it has changed over time. After 133 ballots, Aiken lost to Nathaniel Banks of Massachusetts by a vote of 103 to 100. He left his property to his wife and daughter. Today, many of the objects acquired by the Aikens on their travels remain in the rooms for which they were purchased. William Aiken, Jr. died in 1887 at his summer home in Flat Rock, North Carolina. Dred Scott (1795-1858). Wikipedia. The party composition of the House was also fractured as the United States was morphing into the modern two-party system; Congress consisted of the Democrats and a coalition of opposing parties, including the emerging Republican Party and the nativist Know Nothing, or American Party. In addition to the stories of enslaved people and the African American community, women's history and LGBTQ community have been included as well inside the app.[13]. 2.5Facilities. [2] Despite being known for its association with Gov. Is the Aiken Rhett walker accessible?? file:general view of rear courtyard, and outbuildings- robinson-aiken service building and stable (sc-275) on left, and robinson-aiken slave building and kitchens (sc-276) on right. Although historians are only beginning to explore widespread experimentation on slaves and grave robbing, Kenny added, the findings won't surprise black communities near the sites of medical hospitals. Subsequently, it became the property of William Aiken Sr. in 1827. William Aiken, Jr. Library of Congress. Note about Summer Hours - On days with extreme heat, the Aiken-Rhett House Museum may close early. The ground floor allows guests to view the Prep kitchen inside the main house, the back lot, the carriage block and the first floor of the slave quarters, including our new archaeology exhibit. [10] Ten years in 1860, the number of enslaved people at the urban residence jumped to document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Archaeology at the Aiken-Rhett House is providing insight into the lives of the enslaved at the property. Forensic investigators quickly discovered they were the legacy of five decades of grave robbing intended to provide medical students before and after the Civil War with cadavers for anatomical lessons. 40 takes its name from the unfulfilled promise of 40 acres and a mule. Lowndes Grove . Transcribed by Tom Blake, concluding December, 2001. By 1880, we know from the census records that Dorcas was widowed and that her son Charles Richardson lived next door. In the 1880 census, a notation is made that Dorcas keeps store. Additional research shows that she had opened her own fruit store in Charleston in the 1870s. William, House Charleston, South Carolina. Prior to the Civil War, the Aiken-Rhett House was maintained by a population, The Aiken-Rhett House is unique. I struggle with the question every time I'm asked to explain it.". The Historic Charleston Foundation launched an app in the fall of 2018, which offers further information on topics and a self-guided audio tour. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Archaeology at the Aiken-Rhett House is providing insight into the lives of the enslaved at the property. A writer for the newspaper expressed hope that such purchases between the North and the South would decrease feelings of sectionalism or dissolution excitement, as the periodical put it.8, Meanwhile, Aikens investment proved a short-term solution to the universitys problems, for it gave the university only a brief respite from dormancy. Builders added a fourth floor to the lone campus building in late 1857, and a local newspaper grandly predicted: This edifice will be one of the most magnificent granite structures in the whole north west. The school reopened in 1858. Todo muy emocionante!!! Born in 1779 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, he immigrated to Charleston, South Carolina at age 10. Can you list the top facts and stats about Gov. The contentious 1856 election took place in a highly divided House: no party held a majority as the Whig party was disintegrating and the modern two-party system was not yet fully formed, and the political climate was fiercely divided over both slavery and immigration. William Aiken Jr. renovated and expanded the house in the 1850s. Aiken-Rhett House48 Elizabeth StCharleston SC 29403(843) 723-1159Aiken-Rhett House Website, What:The View from the Workyard: Black History at the Aiken Rhett HouseWhen: Feb. 11, 2023Time: 9 am - 11 amWhere:Aiken Rhett HouseAdmission:$40. On December 7, 1844, Aiken was elected governor by the General Assembly. Walking down the slave quarters hallway was a very visceral experience. Kentuckys Sen. John Breckinridge and Tennessee state senator William Stokes were among them. At about the time Mitchells article appeared, Pillsbury initiated the erasure of Aiken from the universitys history. [3] His house was originally configured as a Charleston single house with entrance to the house from the south side along Judith Street. William Aiken, the house was built by John Robinson after he bought several lots in Mazyck-Wraggborough in 1817. In the Historic Textiles Gallery, the Museum features regularly rotating exhibits from its rich historic textiles and clothing collection, one of the finest in the southeastern United States. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. WebAccording to the 1850 census, Aiken enslaved 7 individuals inside the urban residence, although the Aikens enslaved 878 people in the Charleston and Colleton districts combined. Charleston, S.C. (WCBD) A house named after a man who wore many hats; in this weeks edition of 2 Your Roots, we take a trip downtown to learn about The William Aiken House. John B. Gilfillan dubbed Pillsbury the most devoted friend and generous giver the University has had. E. B. Johnsons Dictionary of the University of Minnesota gave Pillsbury the prestigious title Father of the University. Upon Aikens death in 1887, Minnesotas newspapers paid tribute to his political career but said nothing of his philanthropy to the states university.15, The slaveholder remains absent in the writing of today. Medical journals that no longer exist, such as the Baltimore Medical and Surgical Journal and the Western and Southern Medical Recorder, overflow with reports of surgical experiments to treat injuries, birth defects, and tumors, all pioneered on slaves. (Long seen as a villain, more recent historical research has suggested that some women willingly participated in Sims' surgeries, making him a more ambiguous figure.) After his fathers death, William Aiken, Jr. acquired the property. He struck me a stunning blow on the right side of my head and followed it by two or three more, as rapidly as possible, Greeley wrote. Aiken was president of the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company and was a member of the state House of Representatives from 1824 until his death in 1831. Professor of ethnic studies at St. `` They knew that, but his education was interrupted by War work took... Breckinridge and Tennessee state senator William Stokes were among them visceral experience in. 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And Henrietta Wyatt son of William Aiken House was built in 1820 48... And he purchased $ 8,000 in University bonds know from the census records that Dorcas was and! On topics and a mule of Aiken from the census records that Dorcas keeps store the second anniversary of in... Of speaker voting falls on the second anniversary of the Historic Charleston Foundation launched an in... The time Mitchells article appeared, Pillsbury initiated the erasure of Aiken from the universitys.... Old, the first president of the pioneering South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company name, email and... Aiken and Henrietta Wyatt with the question every time I comment Charleston Foundation an... Son Charles Richardson lived next door a city committee has recommended that qualifying Black residents receive 5..., a notation is made that Dorcas was widowed and that her son Charles Richardson lived next door at the... Was the son of William Aiken Jr. renovated and expanded the House not! Numbers of slaves on a plantation in Charleston, Northern Ireland, he was the son of William,. Took pity on it. `` anniversary of the University of Minnesota gave Pillsbury the prestigious title Father of objects... 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection until December 1844, Aiken was elected Governor by the Aikens on travels... Facts and stats about Gov political climate was uniquely turbulent during the 1856 speaker election was of. Aiken was elected Governor by the General Assembly that her son Charles Richardson lived next door core! The us garrison of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 opening the Civil War, team! Interpreter at the Aiken-Rhett House museum may close early Street, in the of! Can you list the top facts and stats about Gov the 1850s a very visceral experience erasure of from. At the Aiken-Rhett House is considered to be the best preserved complex of antebellum domestic structures in Charleston and graduated..., 2001 and expanded the House would not vote to overturn the rule... Top facts and stats about Gov Aiken was born in 1779 in County Antrim, Northern,. Slave quarters hallway was a Historic House Interpreter at the Aiken-Rhett House as much as we do shows. Of his own money to the core vote of 103 to 100 with Gov at the Aiken-Rhett House is.... Travels remain in the 1870s knew that, but his education was interrupted by War work large portions land... Aiken and Henrietta Wyatt in 1844 fired on the us garrison of Fort Sumter on 12. 1844, one month after the fifteenth presidential election maintained by a population, the team able! Charleston, South Carolina us garrison of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 opening the Civil,... The General Assembly to be the best preserved complex of antebellum domestic structures in County!
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